August has been a fortuitous month for Metal music. There are so many clips coming from Metal festivals in Europe that keep us Americans daydreaming about Wacken and Hellfest. Here are some of the best new videos out now.
Infected Rain “Fighter” at Wacken
This is a fantastic showing of just how good IF is live.
Epica “Illusive Consensus”
Epica is celebrating its 20th Anniversary in September. They have remastered their very first DVD which was created as a promo for Epica. This is truly a monumental in-studio performance. It is one of the most special sets I have ever watched. They are also celebrating the special occasion with a live stream on this Saturday. You can buy tickets and merch for this special stream at epicastream.com
Soen “Trials” Performance
Soen is an emotive mix of Doom, Progressive, and Orchestra that captivates upon listening. This video comes from their tenth anniversary DVD and includes an orchestra. I’m most interested to see their reimagined version of Slipknot’s “Snuff”. You can preorder the Dvd here https://lnk.to/SoenATLANTIS
The 2022 Return of Queensryche
Queensryche is a classic Progressive Metal band from Bellevue, Washington. The legends seem to evolve in every era, and this track is the height of modern Queensryche. I hated that Geoff Tate left, but this new sound contains everything I loved about the original band. Todd La Torre is everything we could’ve hoped for and has become a quintessential addition to the band. This guy has one of the best voices I’ve ever heard. Digital Noise Alliance is out October 7th
“Pale Tortured Blue” by Draconian at Hellfest 2022
This video is sadly the last performance of Heike Langhans with Draconian, making way for Lisa Johansson to make a surprising return to the band. This is an absolutely classic track for Draconian, being the perfect send-off for one of the most beloved replacement vocalists in Metal history.
While I’m not a fan of this new direction so far, Architects seem to keep evolving and changing their sound and not settling in one genre. It’s sounding much less epic and heavy than the previous album “For Those Who Wish To Exist”. But, I honestly don’t expect a redux of that album. That album is so monumentally good, it’s one that there can’t be a sequel.
“King of Nothing” Threshold
One of my favorite British bands of all time is coming back in 2022. It’s weird not to hear the great Damian Wilson leading the gorgeous vocals. But, Glynn Morgan returning has breathed new life into the band and huge sounds. His range is delectable as well as his guitar playing. I can’t wait to hear what they do with this record. It’s sounding heavy and even more Progressive than past releases. You can pre-order the new album and save it here https://bfan.link/dividing-lines.yde
“Pazuzu” Therion
The original Symphonic Metallers are back with catchy Pazuzu off of Leviathan II out October 28th. This album features the epic Israeli choral group Hellscore led by Noa Gruman of Progressive Metal band Scardust. Therion always stacks the deck, putting the most they can into every release. I am not a huge fan, but I actually really enjoyed this song.
Is There Anybody Out There? Beyond the Black
German Hard Rock band Beyond the Black always brings a powerful and catchy chorus with some absolutely sick riffs. This song is completely different from the other single, Reincarnation, and even more different than the previous album “Horizons”.
“Shadowminds” by The Halo Effect at Wacken
The Melodeth Supergroup has a legendary debut at Wacken, helping celebrate the might festival’s 31st Anniversary. This is their debut single live. The mix leaves little to be desired, but it’s always a pleasure watching Mikael Stanne perform.
What are you currently listening to? Let me know below!
Seven Kingdoms is an independently funded and run Metal band from Deland, Florida that has virtually come out of nowhere. Being a band for fifteen years, this band has fought and conquered its way through some hard times, working day jobs and trying to navigate record deals that seemed to be unfavorable. Napalm Records, a record company I often despise, dropped this brilliant fresh Power Metal band. Only just having been signed to small Distortion Music Group, this band has gained its success through an avid fan group, funding any releases by fan-backed Kickstarters. This has allowed the band to explore and shine through their immense creativity and stunning American Power Metal. Seven Kingdoms is not just a band or a business venture, it’s really a community supporting four great musicians and even better people. This band has worked their fingers and nerves to the very edge through blood, sweat, and tears to put out music that people need to hear; And “Zenith” is the pinnacle of that hard work.
The evolution of Seven Kingdoms, from changing singers and being a Fantasy-based band, to “Zenith” is a staggering advancement. Zenith is a Heavy Metal 80’s fusion record with modern Power Metal synths and dirty riffs and vocals so expertly and powerfully delivered by Sabrina Valentine Cruz. The riffs from Kevin and Camden echo those of Iron Maiden, Dokken, and Unleash The Archers with immense speed. I consider SK to be the more heartfelt and accessible sister of Unleash The Archers. Zenith is an emotional roller coaster, full of emotion and gratitude. They took their hardships and compressed them all into a diamond of a record. “Diamond Handed” is a soaring battle anthem with dreamy synths and vocals, mixed with unbelievable speed. When starting this track, my whole family thought they had Youtube on 2x speed. It’s a perfect jaw-dropping start to this record and is maybe one of my favorite songs of all time. And, it only gets better from there.
“A Silent Remedy” is a perfect mix of old SK sound and the refinement they’ve achieved. The sheer melodic sense of this track is impressive; layers upon layers of technically perfect vocal lines contrast the heaviness. This song has some insanely high notes that you’ve just got to hear to believe. This song has a darker feel to it, and it’s a welcome contrast. It’s interesting and takes time to indulge upon. Oh man, but “Love Dagger” is a highlight of epic throwback 70s/80s sound that I can’t get enough of. This song’s quality, rhythmic sense, vocals, and tone just screams 38 Special to me, which is one of my favorite bands of all time. I love every aspect of this song and could see it hitting the radio. It sounds old, but there’s nothing like Sabrina’s voice in any decade. This song is so accessible and relatable, but so high quality and not derivative radio-friendly trash. “Chasing the Mirage” turns up the speed again with a more Thrash riff and dueling stereo guitar melodies. The range Sabrina shows on this record is a span I rarely hear in modern music. Her lower range ins strength and tonal quality remind me of Noa Gruman from Scardust, who is arguably one of the greatest singers of all time. This track is guitar-heavy compared to the others, letting the two guitarists, Byrd and Cruz, do their thing by killing it. The chugging riff is grabbing and crunchy, gets your attention, and then the song just goes off. It’s so progressive and all over the place. It’s such a different track for them, and I love this new sound.
The band pays homage to their infinitely dedicated fan base by including newly mastered favorites. “Valonqar” is an epic Game of Thrones ballad that has impressively long notes and epic thematics. The melodic dueling guitars pull you in, on top of booming bass, and stunning vocals that float over this melancholy feel. The long notes held by Mrs. Valentine Cruz are seemingly endless and pitch-perfect on record and also live. The power of this vocalist is awe-inspiring. “Empty Eyes” is yet another radio-friendly bombastic riff-heavy track that I admittedly have listened to on repeat for hours. The lead riff is a perfect hook into this Heavy Metal throwback. I cannot get enough of this band’s riff sense. These guitarists are some of the best I’ve heard in a long time, without committing musical masturbation. The drums on this track feel so forward and heavy, like a march into battle or just down the street to kick someone’s ass.
“Magic in the Mist” is a cool melodic power track that throwbacks to SK’s fantasy-based days. It’s dreamy, thematic, complex, and strong. Zenith doesn’t seem to quit with the epic soaring solos and perfectly executed rhythmic drums. It bangs right into the Progressive Metal track “Universal Terrestrial” which defines the spacy theme of the album. This song is staggeringly fast and epic, introducing choirs and a melodic. This is not my favorite SK song but has a lot of good things going for it. The backing vocals and vocal runs on some of the outros feel unrefined, almost like an afterthought, which is not up to par with the quality of the song. I feel like a remaster on the vocals would do wonders for this track. The Water Dance is a throwback track and another fan favorite. This is a very strong track with a great groove to it and more juicy Game of Thrones lore. This song is more Thrash based, reminding me of old Blind Guardian or Man O War in the best of ways. The breakdown is cool on this song with some delicious solo work. Life Signs is another brand new track that is full-on Power Metal. It’s a surprising new sound, building on the evolution of Universal Terrestrial. I enjoy Sabrina’s lower range on the verses. This song is well written and epic, the choirs hint at some Devin Townsend influence as well as the guitar work. It’s one of the more musically diverse songs on the record with a fast chord progression. I feel like they pulled out all the stops on this record with progression and using their diverse range of influences and writing techniques.
“I Hate Myself For Loving You” is a song with a long history. Originally written by Desmond Child and Runaways guitarist Joan Jett, it was released in 1988 and became the biggest anti-love song of all time. It was also rewritten for NFL’s Sunday Night Football anthem and covered by Carrie Underwood. Regardless of this song’s history and prowess, I have always had a strong dislike for this song. The key it’s in plus the original vocals make me want to drill any part of my auditory senses right out of my head. When Seven Kingdoms announced they were covering this song, I cringed. However, upon listening to it the first time, I was hooked. The band refreshed this dirty old track and turned it into a complete jam. I love the cover and find it to be the biggest improvement of a song I’ve ever heard.
The only two issues I have with this album are mix and length. I would’ve liked a double album: The first disc should have all-new tracks focusing on the Zenith extraterrestrial theme and the new SK sound. The second disc could be remasters of old SK fan-favorite songs and maybe a couple live versions. I understand budgeting would limit this greatly and probably why it’s reduced to a single album. I just find it jarring and disjointed, because I expected an overall alien theme, and it was GoT references thrown in with older songs. I understand the purpose of the album is to sate fans’ appetites and put out new music to put themselves on the map in US-born Power Metal, but I find it confusing for the direction it’s supposed to go in. Maybe I’m missing information in promotion packets or missed something in the Kickstarter information, but it’s just a strange album to me as far as wondering what it’s supposed to be. Maybe I misunderstood the purpose of the record because I thought it was some kind of concept album, but I would’ve liked a more succinct record. Each individual track is good on its own, but none of them go together perse.
The other problem I have with the record is in the mix. On streaming and Disc format through studio speakers and headphones, I find the mix to be boomingly bass-heavy. Normally, I love a lot of bass in the mix, but there are some parts in the record where the bass is overpowering. It’s as if someone’s using a super low-frequency bass drop sample and randomly placing them in songs like Diamond Handed and Chasing the Mirage. It’s an odd phenomenon, but not uncommon in modern mixes with compression where inconsistencies like this happen when a 5.1 mix is transferred to CD MP3s. I like dynamics, but I don’t think the weird low bass drops are purposeful. The mix on Universal Terrestrial is not my favorite; It sounds rushed and there are some really high frequencies that I would’ve leveled out, but maybe this only appears on certain formats. These issues are easily looked over, however and I am able to enjoy the record regardless.
Zenith is a hell of a unique record, and I hope it skyrockets Seven Kingdoms in popularity. There’s nothing quite like them in America right now, and I feel lucky to have them in my home country.
Highlights: A Silent Remedy, Love Dagger, Diamond Handed
Symphonic Metal Juggernauts are back! We hadn’t heard much from the German band since Dianne Van Giersbergen’s exit after “Theater of Dimensions” in 2017, and I was beginning to worry. The titans led by guitarist, founder, and writer Marco Heubaum was founded in 1994 and has been formidable ever since despite much drama and lineup changes. The band is known for beautiful melodies, heavy riffs, soaring operatic vocals, and epic tales of battle and mental delirium. I’ve been a fan of this band since my European Metal crusade began. I’ve found them to be underrated and unjustly overshadowed by “biguns” like Nightwish. Xandria is one of the best Symphonic Metal bands I have ever seen live (opening for Sonata Arctica in 2014). I fell in love with the music during the Manuela Kraller era, and it broke my heart to see her go, but faith has been restored with “Reborn”.
Xandria’s Marco Release Statement:
Dear Xandria fans, Xandria is finally reborn. It has been quite a journey so far, and a new journey is about to begin right now. There will be a lot to come still, and “Reborn” is just the first sign of life for all of you amazing fans out there. Thank you so much for your patience and support, in this time needed to be coming back to life! We cannot even begin to tell you how much we appreciate the warm welcoming words of many of you in the last days! Thank you all! We truly hope you will be enjoying this new song! It tells you about the time when you feel that something very precious in your life, the passion that you give all your heart into, is about to die – and that you need all your strength for going through a hard time in which you have to painfully sacrifice and leave behind things, to let it be reborn. There definitely was a lot of passion and heart going into this song, too. “Reborn” also introduces our new singer Ambre Vourvahis, who for us is the perfect match for the new Xandria you are going to experience! You will hear something more about her very soon! In this song you can hear already a few of her diverse voice facettes, but she will show you quite some more still, so be prepared for some surprises… As you can see there are also a few other new faces. Their names are: Dimitrios Gatsios (drums), Tim Schwarz (bass) and Rob Klawonn (guitar). You will soon learn more about these both great people and musicians, too! Our former members went on to new musical endevours, and we wish all of them the best for the future, in gratefulness and respect for the times we shared and everything that they have done for Xandria. We want to share a statement of the long time members Philip, Gerit and Marco with you all: “After a long journey together, during which we were sharing great experiences, but as well have developed in different directions, we have decided that it is time for each of us to go our own way. We would like to thank the fans for the many wonderful memories, and wish each other all the best for the future. See all of you soon out there with our new or old projects. The music will be connecting us all still! Philip, Gerit and Marco”
Power Metal band from DeLand, Florida has been on fire since last fall and their successful tour with Unleash the Archers and Aether Realm, and this year’s Power Metal tour with Beast in Black and Striker. I knew once I witnessed Seven Kingdoms live in person, I was witnessing the greatest Power Metal band in America. We don’t get bands like this here. But to be frank, their quality and consistency are unmatched anywhere. With tracks like After the Fall, Empty Eyes, Monster, and epic ballad Valonqar this band knows how to deliver impactful songs. Every member is vastly talented and the chemistry is that of a band that’s been playing for two decades. I have never been more impressed with an opener (well, not since System Divide).
Now, the wait for the crowdfunded album “Zenith” has begun. With the debut original track, Universal Terrestrial, we got absolute speed, dynamic vocals, and amazing melodic solos. The track is simply addictive with unique qualities that I am not hearing anywhere else. The unique tonal quality of Sabrina Valentine Cruz’s voice is divine and surprising: I’ve never heard anything like it, and I can’t seem to get enough of it. I foresee a lot more Reaction videos coming their way soon. The first release from Zenith was insanely surprising: A Power Metal rendition of Joan Jett’s classic “I Hate Myself For Loving You” that screamed. It is one of the best covers I have ever heard, with musical and vocal perfection. It’s a huge upgrade to the original, which in my opinion long outlived its usefulness. The soaring screams and high notes elicit a jaw-dropping experience and “WOWs”. It’s one of those times when you think “why isn’t this going viral?” “Zenith” may be just what this band needs to skyrocket into a bigger fandom that they unequivocally deserve.
Today, Seven Kingdoms dropped the emotional powerhouse of a track “Diamond Handed”. I am forever impressed by this band, but this song brought it to a new level. I love every aspect of this track. It’s classic Power Metal mixed with modern touches in this beautiful emotionally heavy and inspiring track. I am a sucker for dueling guitar solos and Cam and Kevin delivered perfectly fast, technical, melodic solos over Keith’s pocket-perfect metronome double bass. It’s very different from any song they’ve done before, to me, but keeps within the typical Speedy-riffing soaring Power Metal that SK always delivers on. Sabrina’s range on this track is unbelievable, in that I believe she uses a lower section we haven’t heard before. And then, she roars into harmonic screams that seem to resonate forever. It’s vastly impressive. There’s nothing quite like this track, and you really have to play it multiple times to get every tidbit of deliciousness.
For fans of Blind Guardian, Beast In Black, Unleash the Archers, Halestorm, Nightwish, Sonata Arctica, Heart
Out of nowhere, successful Metalcore band Architects drop a new single “when we were young” yesterday. I missed the initial release, as I was dealing with having no power or Wifi for most of the day due to a quarter of my town being on fire. I’ve been awaiting something new from Architects but thought they’d ride the wave of the popular For Those Who Wish To Exist longer. I find the track to be interesting, but quite light and radio-friendly. I am hoping it is a soft release for an upcoming assault of a new record just to whet appetites. No other information was released with the track, but expect more from the band very soon. Listen to the new track below and see what you think.
Another exciting and surprise release from the day before was from We Came As Romans ft Brand of Sacrifice. It’s an Electronic and Metalcore mash-up reimagining of their breakout hit Darkbloom. I had never listened to either artist before and was immensely astounded by the quality of what I was hearing. the growls are stunning and deep to the point of Deathcore heaviness at the end. It is absolutely addictive. Check it Out below:
Here’s a list of bands I’ve recently come acrossed in my research of metal around the world. Not all of these bands are new, but maybe you haven’t heard of them yet. If you’re looking for new metal to listen to, this list is for you. If you’re absolutely fed up with generic rock and the older bands constantly resurfacing, this is a more diverse group of really great bands to listen to. Finding the perfect band for an individual is nearly impossible, but the search through the epicly diverse genre of Metal can be an eye opener. This list could help you find your next perfect band.
While She Sleeps
England has been breeding quality metal for almost a decade now. Bands like Sylosis and Tesseract are great examples of what British Metal has to offer. While She Sleeps is another prime example of British Metal’s diversity and unique sound. The band is a Melodic Hardcore Metal band famous for chanting vocals and melodic guitar riffs. I haven’t heard anything quite like them yet and enjoyed their latest track New World Torture. Check them out below.
Swedish band Mad Architect is surprisingly unique and brilliant, featuring Magnus Daun, Sven Lindsten, and Snowy Shaw (Sabaton, Dimmu Borgir, Therion), and Jorgen Oscarsson. Their music is a mix between Power Metal and Black Metal, with dark and Gothic influences. It’s very interesting Metal and will appeal to someone with a diverse set of tastes. The vocals range from growls reminiscent of Dimmu Borgir and clean power vocals similar to Russell Allen’s style.
If you just can’t get enough of Melodic Death Metal and are looking for a new band of great quality, Barren Earth could be a great addition to your list. The band specializes in their own take on a classic genre, adding a Progressive vibe to the music much like Mastodon and Opeth have achieved. The music is technical, fast, dark, and enchanting with many layers. This band makes good use of clean vocals as a contract to the guttural growls. This band is not for the average Metal fan, because of the intensity of the growls, but they are absolutely amazing at what they do. I expect nothing less than powerful Death Metal from Finland.
A new wave of metal bands from Australia has recently submerged, introducing a new style of metal. A Breach of Silence is one of the best Metal bands I’ve recently discovered. They have this blend of typical screaming with powerful vocals. I was honestly expecting your typical Metalcore band, but instead heard something much more unique. The vocal range of the bassist is borderlining on the range of Miljenko from Steelheart. I am vastly impressed by A Breach of Silence and their single There Will Be Blood.
Swedish metal is just spectacular, but Wolverine has to be one of my favorite bands from the region. The band is a wonderful Progressive Metal band, with sounds like Sonata Arctica and Ayreon. This band utilizes two different vocalists very well, mixing clean vocals and growls with a Doom Metal feel to the instruments. It’s just a really interesting and well executed unique style. They put out solid and diverse albums. I highly suggest them if you’re into Prog Metal.
Regardless of Rob Flynn’s backlash at other metal bands and online fights strewn throughout the media, he presses on with legendary band metal Machine Head. The Thrash Metal group had announced a new album fall of 2013, but had encountered perils and set backs along the way. In recent years, Flynn has become very vocal and open about what it is like to be in an American metal band. Long story short and opinions aside, Machine Head has blazed through all doubts and have risen to the top of American metal. The new album encompasses all of Machine Head’s turmoil and strengths, high and lows, and best aspects. Their ability to create darkened and melodic Thrash Metal is unparalleled: There is nothing quite like this band.
Today, they release a new song off Bloodstone and Diamonds called Night of Long Knives. It is a dynamic, pounding, shredding, beastly track that is sure to impress the typical heavy metal fans. While the overall track succeeds and proves what the band is all about, it is not the best track off of the new album. The direction of this track is diluted and chaotic, making it sound like a mess of noise. The highlight of the track is the well executed guitar solo, even though it doesn’t truly fit in the song. The style is all over the place, lacking artistic direction. If you like pure and raw Thrash Metal, this song is definitely up your alley. But if you’re looking for Unto the Locust, this track is definitely not satisfying.
Listen to Night of Long Knives https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MlnlYsTpTY&index=1&list=PL4qfuCI0_FfOlnedFiLH0u3d65KaJBQD1
Metal Valkyrie 